Massachusetts Auto Insurance

In the competitive insurance industry, here at MassDrive we compete with our commitment to technology and customer experience. After our recent announcement of the debut of our own proprietary online quoting tool, Agency Checklist became intrigued. They interviewed our CEO Bill Suneson to find out how this independent agency uses the power of the internet to drive its growth and success!

Bill Suneson, founder of MassDrive, opened his agency in 2009 at the start of “Managed Competition” precisely because of the benefits that he believed auto insurance deregulation in Massachusetts could bring to independent agents. And while many agents bemoan the arrival of direct writers in the Commonwealth, MassDrive welcomes the competition, believing independent agents actually have the upper hand over direct writers.

Why have your agency sell insurance online and by telephone only?

We believe consumers want to be able to buy online and do so conveniently. Consumers expect technology and that is what they are asking for. Studies show 71 percent of consumers shop online with most getting a quote in three different places. While some customers are still going to walk in to a traditional storefront [to buy insurance], the growth and opportunity is in getting to consumers shopping online.

Your latest has been the MassDrive online quoting tool, how did that come about?

Consumers in other states have been able to compare rates online for several years and our mission has always been to provide MA drivers with the same opportunity. Utilizing Boston Software’s comparative rater, we built our own API over their carrier rating engine to better manage and control the consumer experience. Boston Software has been a great partner in this initiative and we could not have done it without their support and innovation.

No one loves shopping for insurance. It can be confusing, complicated and hard to figure out exactly what you need. On one hand, you want to save money, but on the other you want to make sure you and your family are fully covered. An independent insurance agent can help with all of these concerns and so much more. Here are the top 5 benefits of using an independent insurance agent:

Cost! – An independent insurance agent can shop around for you from multiple carriers. They are able to look for the best combination of price, coverage and service by having a huge selection of carriers to choose from. An agent does the work for you to find you the best price.

Their loyalty lies with the customer. – Unlike captive agents, who are committed to the one carrier they must sell policies for; independent agents are committed to making the customer happy. Their livelihood depends on getting the customer the best price, and providing the best customer service. They have no parent company they have to sell policies for, so if your premium goes up after a year, they can run rates for you with other carriers to find you a better price.

One-stop shopping network. – With one call, an independent agent can provide you access to multiple lines of coverage from auto, homeowners, rental, life, pet insurance and more. They also offer discounts for bundling your insurance needs.

Becomes an advisor for present / future assets. – Your agents will be able to adjust your insurance based on your needs. They are trained in knowing how to get you the best coverage and price, without being under-insured OR over-insured. Having an agent can help you navigate through your changing insurance needs.

Help with the claims process. – As the insurance industry is complicated with a lot of technical jargon, it can be hard to understand the claims process. An independent agent can speak directly to the insurance carrier for you to help get any questions about your claim addressed.

Need more reasons to have a MassDrive agent working for you? Contact us at (866) 963-8231 or go to MassDrive.com and fill out a free quote today.

The start of February brings more snow to our winter wonderland called Massachusetts! Although it’s tempting to just stay cooped up in our homes, there are some events that are just worth going to! Here are some of MassDrive’s favorite events happening in February.

This luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores and sweet shops. Kick off the event at Colonial Hall at Rockafellas Friday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m with chocolates and wine tasting. Enjoy more than 15 large sculptures around downtown Salem with trolley rides guiding you through the festival route. Also, many of Salem’s downtown businesses will offer discounts on special offerings throughout the festival so be sure to stop by!

Get your tickets while you can for the award winning Broadway musical “The Wiz”! Winner of 7 Tony awards, this modern re-telling of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” sets Dorothy’s adventures to a lively mixture of rock, gospel, and soul. The Fiddlehead Theater Company invites people of all ages to come dance away their winter doldrums on this perfectly magical journey.

Grab your sneakers, (and jacket!) to compete in the 3rd Annual Frozen Pilgrim race. Starting and finishing at the Boys & Girl’s Club of Plymouth, this 10K takes you around the Industrial Park. With a double loop up the Armstrong road hill it is sure to push your endurance. Sign up now and be sure to check out their charity Partner the Kurt Giessler Foundation for Youth Achievement.

Escape the cold during February vacation week by visiting the Franklin Park Zoo’s tropical Forest, which is a wonderfully warm 72 degrees. Stroll through lush greenery and waterfalls, and visit lowland gorillas and ring-tailed lemurs. During this week there will be zookeeper encounters, crafts and much more. You can even stop by the Hippo Theater to hear Curious George tell stories everyday from 10:30 am to 3 p.m.

Best known for his role as co-creater, writer and star of the hot Comedy Central show Workaholics, Adam DeVine is quickly becoming one of the most sought after young comedians and actors in the comedy world. With his popularity growing rapidly, you can also catch him in upcoming feature films and guest starring on hit TV shows. Come check him out February 17th at University of Massachusetts’ Mullins Center in Amherst.

The Greater Lowell Chamber of Congress is hosting their one and only fundraiser of the year. Enjoy music and Karaoke, complimentary appetizers and cupcakes, and much more. Mardi Gras Madness will have a winner-takes-all raffle that includes $1000 cash prize, gift baskets, gift certificates, concert tickets and more! Located at the Four Oaks Country Club, it is sure to be a good time.

The Super Bowl is a true American tradition, and this year in Massachusetts there is an even higher level of anticipation than usual – the Patriots will face off against the Seahawks! Super Bowl Sunday can be one of the best days of the year, but have you thought about Super Bowl safety?

This Sunday can be a dangerous time for drivers on the road. Not only is Massachusetts going to be hit with more snow this weekend, making the road conditions worst (check out our safety tips for driving in the snow), but drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday is rampant. More drivers are involved in alcohol-related accidents on Super Bowl Sunday than any day of the year besides St. Patrick’s Day, according to the Insurance Information Institute. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 48% of U.S. traffic fatalities on Super Bowl Sunday are alcohol related.

The best plan of action is to plan ahead. Have a designated driver. Plan to stay overnight at a friend or family member’s house. Book a hotel. Use public transportation. Call a cab or get an Uber. With so many options to travel safely, there is no excuse for drunk driving.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl Party, provide plenty of yummy food so guests don’t drink on an empty stomach. Search Pinterest or Google to find easy crowd-pleasing recipes! Also, offer non-alcoholic drinks for people to sip on throughout the game.

We are thrilled to announce to announce that our new website has officially launched! While our old site was functional, it had started to feel stale and we felt long overdue for a refresh. Our designer got to work, and we are so happy with the result! It is our hope that now you will be better able to navigate our site, as well as find more information about who we are, what we offer, and how we can help you find the best insurance for your needs.

Massachusetts drivers now have choice in the insurance market and it is MassDrive’s mission to provide choice and convenience. On the new site, you can learn more about our friendly agents and how they can help find the right insurance plan. You can also read about the features of the different products we offer before requesting a quote.

Speaking of getting a quote … on our new site requesting a quote is now faster and easier than ever. You can call, submit an online quote form or text to get a quote. Yes, text! Our brand new SnapQuote™ feature makes getting a quote as simple as taking a picture and sending a text from your phone. If you already have auto insurance in Massachusetts, simply send us a photo of the declarations page of your policy, and an agent will be in touch shortly to get you a quote!

The new site is mobile-optimized and features responsive design, so you can access contact and claims information or get a quote even on-the-go. We’ve added a whole section to the site dedicated to helping Massachusetts drivers learn more about insurance, whether it’s an auto or homeowner’s insurance policy, to help you feel more informed and empowered in the insurance-buying process. Check out our glossary, frequently asked questions, and articles to learn more about car insurance in Massachusetts and how you can get a free quote from MassDrive.

We hope you love the new site as much as we do! Send us your thoughts on Twitter @MassDrive!

It’s a new year and we’re busy writing new policies over here at MassDrive, but we want to make sure that you know what discounts you could be getting so you can save as much as possible! There are many discounts available however the percentage that you can save does vary by carrier and is different for everyone, however there is an average range that most companies use and we’ve come up with the following breakdown of discounts:

Companion Policy Discount: This is typically the largest discount you can get on your auto and homeowner’s policies and you get it simply by having your auto and homeowner’s insurance with the same carrier. You can also receive this discount with renter’s or condo policies as well! This discount can save you up to 10% on your auto policy and up to 20% on your homeowner’s, renter’s or condo policy! Some (not all) companies even offer you a discount if you have your auto policy with them and a homeowner’s policy elsewhere, however this discount can only be applied to homeowner’s policies (not renter’s or condo) and is much smaller, typically only up to 4%.

Good Student Discount – This discount applies to both high school and college students and can usually save you about 10% on your auto policy but can even get as high as 15%! However, there are some stipulations; the student must be full time and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The other catch is that they have to have less than 6 years of driving experience to be eligible. If you’re a student with your own policy or are a parent with a student on your policy, definitely ask your agent about the good student discount! If you meet the requirements, it’s an easy way to save big bucks on your policy!

Low Mileage Discount – The less you drive the more you save! The discount you can get varies and is broken down into tiers based on your annual mileage. You can typically get the biggest discount (up to 12%) if you drive less than 7,500 miles. After that the next tier is 7,501-10,000 miles, then 10,001-12,500 miles, but if you drive over 12,501 miles you won’t receive a discount from most companies. The discount gets lower as you move past each tier but is a great way to save!

Pay In Full Discount – This one is pretty self explanatory, if you pay your auto premium in full you can save up to 5%!

AAA Discount – If you’re a AAA member you are eligible for up to a 5% discount with most insurance companies! AAA is a great service to have, you never know when the unexpected may occur and you may need a tow, which can be pretty expensive if you have to pay for it out of pocket. Getting the discount is simple, you just scan a copy of your membership card and send it over to your agent and the discount can be applied.

Advanced Issue Discount – This discount is a great incentive to start shopping early for insurance! If your policy is issued at least 7 days before the coverage become effective, you can save up to 5% on your policy!

eDocument Discount – Receiving your policy documents electronically can get you up to 5% discount on your policy! Go green while saving yourself some green!

EFT Discount – This typically goes hand in hand with the eDocument discount, but you don’t necessarily have to have both. EFT (electronic funds transfer) allows the carrier to take your monthly payment directly from your bank account, and it can save you about $60 per year! If you choose to remain on a standard payment plan where the bills are mailed to you, most companies charge a $5-$6 installment fee each payment (most policies typically have 10 payment installments), so the savings can really add up if you’re on the EFT payment plan which may charge a minimal to no installment fee.

Multi-Car Discount – If you have more than one car, you can save up to 8% by having all of your vehicles on one policy.

Good Driver Discount – This is offered to drivers that have a good driving record and varies from case to case. It is based on your SDIP rating, or how many points you have on your record and can be one of the biggest discounts available to drivers depending on your record.

Next time you’re shopping for insurance, give us a call at MassDrive! All of our agents are extremely informed and will make sure you are getting as many discounts as possible!

Meet Cassandre! She is one of our sales representatives at MassDrive, and she is happy to help you find the right Massachusetts auto insurance for your needs. How much does service matter to you? Maybe not a whole lot when buying insurance, but Cassandre believes that friendly, helpful service is a big part of what makes MassDrive so great. She does her best to make sure you feel like you’ve made a call to the right place!

How else can Cassandre and MassDrive help YOU? Watch her video to learn more!

Shopping for Massachusetts car insurance? Meet Aldo – he can help! Aldo is one of our account managers at MassDrive. He can help you find a quote from several of our carriers, so you get the insurance you’re looking for at a good price.

The friendly service that MassDrive agents strive for is what sets MassDrive apart in Aldo’s opinion. When you give him or any of our other agents a call, they are happy to help and that’s something you’ll be able to hear, even across those phone wires.

Watch the video above to learn more about Aldo and how MassDrive can help you find the right car insurance. Fun Fact: Aldo has earned the nickname “Hasslehoff” around the office. Don’t hassle the ‘hoff!

Steve, or Fucci as he is affectionately known around the office, is the sales manager here at MassDrive, so if you are looking for car insurance, he can definitely help. Steve understands that buying insurance can feel odd and wants to make sure that while he can’t give you a literal bubble of protection, that he does make you feel as though you are better protected when you leave MassDrive.

To learn more about Steve and how he can help you find the right Massachusetts auto insurance for your needs, watch the video above.

Ever wonder who’s there to help you at MassDrive? Meet Katie! Kate is our customer service manager at MassDrive, and you can rest assured that you’re in good hands when you give her a call with a question or concern. Katie understands that when you’re shopping for auto insurance, you have different needs and preferences – whether you’re shopping for the best price or a policy that offers extra coverage. As a new mom, she knows there are many factors that come into play when looking for a Massachusetts car insurance policy.